Life-Pack Performs Live Bailout Buddy Prototype Demonstration
Ambler, PA — Life-Pack Technologies, Inc., ("Life-Pack") amanufacturer of multi-story firefighting, rescue, and occupant safety equipment, today conducted a successful live prototype demonstration of Bailout Buddy™ at the Bucks County Emergency Services Training Center in Doylestown, PA.
Fred Hashagan, Director of Operations at the Training Center, wearing a prototype version of the automatic and hands-free escape device to be used by firefighters to bail out of a burning building through an upper floor window, successfully performed multiple jumps from a three-story training tower.
"I was a little more secure, especially using the cable...I like the idea that you can actually free-fall with both hands free coming through...," said Hashagan.
When asked about how Bailout Buddy is different from existing rope systems, Hashagan claimed, "You don't have to worry about holding on. It gives you a better chance of spinning and frees your hands to allow you to do whatever else you need to do...you don't have to worry about locking your hands in and throwing the rope behind you."
Hashagan concluded by saying, "I think it's going to be a lifesaver for all of us really. It's going to make our job a lot easier."
Today, firefighters rely on less effective rope systems that require the use of both hands, break easily under the force of a free-fall, and disintegrate after a few minutes at high temperatures. By contrast, Bailout Buddy is hands-free, includes a force-limiter that absorbs the impact of a free-fall, and uses high-strength steel aircraft cable that is more resistant to higher temperatures.
In attendance to observe the demonstration was a group of fire chiefs, including John Salka, Battalion Chief, Brooklyn, NY, "Butch" Cobb, Deputy Fire Chief, Jersey City, NJ and Michael Smith (ret.), Deputy Fire Chief, Washington, DC.
We were all eager to see the product in action. It was wonderful," declared Salka. "It's probably the most urgent and dramatic moment in a firefighter's career if he ever has to bail out of a window. So the fact the he doesn't have to manipulate something or hold something is wonderful. The second thing is that it has cable on it rather than rope...it's certainly much stronger and durable than any type of rope. I think [firefighters] would love to have something like this...a volunteer who does a couple hundred calls a year would love to put this on his SCBA...and a firefighter in a big city would be just as happy to use it."
"Today's successful demonstration marks an important milestone," said Robert Leon, Life-Pack Founder and CEO. "We are thrilled that Chief Hashagan was able to make the jumps without a hitch. For the Life-Pack team and all in attendance, it was truly an exciting moment and represents a great step forward towards improving the safety of all firefighters."
Bailout Buddy is planned for availability in early 2008.
About Life-Pack
Life-Pack Technologies was formed following the tragedy of September 11, 2001 to address the need for better, safer multi-story firefighting and rescue, and external mass-evacuation of high-rise occupants. Life-Pack's patented products help firefighters bail out of an upper floor window, ferry vital equipment to a high staging floor, extract fallen firefighters following a floor collapse, and enable thousands of occupants trapped on an upper floor to safely exit the building and descend slowly to the ground. To learn more, please visit www.life-pack.com.
Media Contact:
Robert Leon, Founder and CEO
(215) 653-7311
rleon@life-pack.com
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